Urgent Appeal to Safeguard Religious Minorities in Bangladesh

29 December 2024

The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer 

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 

10 Downing Street 

London, SW1A 2AA 

Subject: Urgent Appeal to Safeguard Religious Minorities in Bangladesh 

Your Excellency, Prime Minister Starmer, 

On behalf of the British Hindu community and in solidarity with concerned organisations across the United Kingdom, I am writing to bring to your immediate attention the grave situation faced by religious minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. This letter accompanies a multi-organisation statement appealing for intervention and urgent measures to address the escalating violence and persecution.

Bangladesh is currently enduring severe political turmoil, resulting in an alarming rise in violence against religious minorities. The enclosed statement outlines the distressing events following the departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, with mobs targeting Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist communities. There is growing evidence of looting, arson, and heinous crimes, including murder, rape, and land seizures. This systematic violence borders on genocide and threatens the very fabric of Bangladesh’s pluralistic society. 

The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus has yet to curtail these atrocities, and the persecution continues unchecked. The attached document highlights specific cases, including the wrongful detention of Hindu monks and lack of legal representation. Such incidents demonstrate the urgent need for international intervention. 

We respectfully urge the Government of Bangladesh to: 

– Establish a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for crimes against religious minorities. 

– Ensure the safety, rights, and property of all religious minorities. 

– Release innocent detainees. 

– Form a Minority Ministry dedicated to safeguarding the rights of religious communities. 

– Reaffirm Bangladesh as a secular nation committed to protecting all its citizens.

We appeal to the United Kingdom, a longstanding ally and development partner of Bangladesh, to leverage its diplomatic channels to advocate for these measures. The British Hindu community, with deep familial and cultural ties to Bangladesh, remains deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of their relatives and the wider minority populations. 

We trust that your offices will give this urgent matter the serious attention it deserves. We remain hopeful that through collaborative international effort, peace and stability can be restored in Bangladesh, ensuring the safety of all its citizens, irrespective of their religious affiliations. 

Yours faithfully, 

Surinder Gautama

On behalf of the British Hindu Community 

[President, World Council of Hindus] 

Enclosures: 

1. Multi-organisation Statement on Bangladesh 

2. Appendix of Evidence and Media Reports 

Copy to: 

– Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh

–  Her Excellency Ms. Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh

– General Secretary, United Nations

–  The broadcast and print media.

Appeal to the Interim Government of Bangladesh to Protect the Religious Minorities There

Bangladesh is currently undergoing turmoil caused by political instability which has, also unfortunately, resulted in the religious minorities suffering persecution. We, various organisations listed hereunder, ask the Interim Administrator Professor Muhammad Yunus to take urgent steps to restore peace and stability to the country, and in particular to ensure the religious minorities are protected.

The Situation
In the summer this year -2024 – a student’s-led public unrest was started in Bangladesh. In the battle between the activists and the security forces, many lives were lost. The insurgents turned violent and a state of anarchy resulted leading to the PM Sheikh Hasina leaving the country on August 5. The protesting militant mobs, encouraged by political groups, began unleashing violence against the supporters of the erstwhile Hasina government. But within a short time, this violence was directed towards the religious minorities, mostly Hindus, also Christians and Buddhists. In the social media recordings of these atrocities, voices were heard demanding the conversion of Bangladesh to an Islamic nation.

An interim Government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus was formed, but the anarchy and violence have continued. As the mobs attacked Hindus, damaging and burning their houses and temples, slogans of “leave this country or we will kill you” were heard.

The Government of Bangladesh has continued to downplay these events as a political backlash against the supporters of the erstwhile Hasina government. It maintains that all citizens are protected equally there. However numerous videos have surfaced on the social media. These show gruesome murders of Hindus, rapes and gang-rape of Hindu women and young girls, looting and arson of houses, businesses and temples, and the appropriation of their agricultural lands and cattle.
It is also pertinent to state that a prominent Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krshna Das, who was arrested for no clear reason remains in custody awaiting trial. The lawyer who had agreed to represent his case was murdered on the roadside by miscreants shortly after he had come forward to defend the monk. No one now wants to step in to defend him. Justice has been denied to this individual, and we ask he should be released from custody and tried in court on specific charge(s).

These are actions bordering on genocide of religious minorities, and yet international media, the NGOs, and the Human Rights groups have, in the main, kept silent on this issue.

What Needs to Be Done
We ask the Government of Bangladesh:

  1. To establish a tribunal to prosecute all who have committed crimes against citizens, especially those belonging to the religious minorities.
  2. To protect the rights of religious minorities and release from detention those who are innocent.
  3. To establish a Minority Ministry that would in future safeguard the lives and property of religious minorities.
  4. To state that the nation is, and will remain, secular.

We request countries of the world, in our case that of the United Kingdom, to use their good offices to help in the restoration of peace and stability in Bangladesh and help in pursuance of the above-mentioned actions. The many British Citizens hailing from Bangladesh remain extremely worried about the safety of their families in Bangladesh.

Copy to

  1. Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh
  2. General Secretary of the United Nations Organisation
  3. Prime Minister of Great Britain, Sir Keir Starmer
  4. The broadcast and print media.
    Appendix:

a) In 1947 at the time of Partition of India, in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Hindus constituted 27% of the population. At the last Census that population has gone down to 7%.
Religious persecution (and forced conversion to Islam) is the main reason for this dramatic fall. This is indeed genocide.
Year in, year out, the killings of Hindus have continued.
At the time of East Pakistan’s struggle for freedom, estimates suggest no less than 2.5 million Hindus were slaughtered by the Pakistan Army.

b) A Bangladeshi Human Rights Group, Ain o Salish Kendra, reported “at least 3,679
attacks on the Hindu community between January 2013 and September 2021, including vandalism, arson and targeted violence, with Awami League leaders allegedly complicit in several cases”.

c) BBC: 6 August 2024: ‘There is no law and order. And Hindus are being targeted again’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy77vgmjlzo

d) Al Jazeera: 12 Dec, 2024
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/12/12/our-lives-dont-matter-in-post-hasina-bangladesh-hindus-fear-future
In 2021, following mob attacks on Hindu minority households and temples in Bangladesh during and after Durga Puja, the country’s biggest Hindu festival, the rights group Amnesty International said: “Such repeated attacks against individuals, communal violence and destruction of the homes and places of worship of minorities in Bangladesh over the years show that the state has failed in its duty to protect minorities.”

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Youth in Mandirs – Conference Proceedings

The Hindu Mandir Network’s Youth in Mandirs conference proceedings are available to download   from this site.

The Youth in Mandirs conference took place online on 25th April 2021.

It was felt that well organised youth activities at Mandirs for the different ages can be self-perpetuating as younger children come in and follow through the different ages constantly being involved with the Mandirs over the changing generations. The workshops were organised to target activities for 3 separate age ranges

A         5-10 years

B        11-18 years

C        18-25 years

Each workshop had several case studies examples from successful Mandirs

Youth Leaders who organise activities or are responsible for youth activities in Mandirs were invited together with the Executive committee members. For those Mandirs wishing to start youth activities at their Mandirs the invitation was opened to potential youth leaders as well.

We were pleasantly surprised at the demand as over 120 delegates registered to attend the 2 hour online conference with 85 attending on the actual day.

We hope you find this booklet as a useful reminder if you attended and inspirational if you missed the conference. We also hope that it may guide and inspire Hindu Mandirs executives to attend such events in the future.

Click to download the conference proceedings.

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Youth in Mandirs – Conference

The Hindu Mandir Network has pleasure in inviting you to the

Youth in Mandirs conference – A conference for Hindu Mandir youth leaders on 25th April 2021 , 3 – 5 pm  online

Please Register to attend – Click here

Benefits for your Mandir

Designed for Mandir Executives with responsibilities for Youth activities, the Youth in Mandirs conference enables us to share ideas and collaborate to:

  • Learn how to attract young people to Mandirs
  • Create attractive programmes and activities for youth
  • Learn from successful Mandirs how to organise activities that engage children, teenagers and young adults
  • Create a vibrant Mandir for the whole community

Workshops based on activities by age ranges

A    5-10 years  – Primary School Age

B    11-18 years – Teen Age

C    18-25 years – University age

Case Studies by successful Mandir activities will show you how activities are organized and the benefits to the Mandir and the community.

Who should attend

Mandir executives / representatives who are

  • Responsible for Youth activities
  • Youth Leaders who organize activities in Mandirs
  • Senior executives of Mandir committee
  • Mandir Execs wishing to start Youth activities at their Mandir

If you don’t have any youth leaders please consider who in your Mandir community could take up such a role and ask them to attend.

Click here to Register by 18th April

For further information…

Contact your HMN Regional Coordinator

or Email:   info.hmnuk@gmail.com

 

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Census 2021

The Hindu Mandir Network in conjunction with the National Council of Hindu Temples (NCHT) organised a webinar on the subject of the Census 2021. 75 participants from mandirs across the UK participated in the online event on 20 Feb 2021.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) is in charge of conducting the Census. Shri Harkishan Mistry, the official representative of ONS, gave an insightful presentation about the Census which is happening on 21st March 2021. In particular he explained how the Census data is used by local and central Government to provide for the needs of the community including places of worship, community centres, schools, care homes etc. He then stressed why it is important that Indians / Hindus are properly recorded on the Census and about the importance for all the Indian community to take part in completing the Census form.

There was discussion and special focus on the 4 key questions of National Identity, Ethnicity, Religion and Language that affect the Hindu community. Using posters  and videos  that are widely available the audience was informed about how the answers would affect their community’s representation in the future when local and central government makes decisions on funding for places of worship, community centres, schools, care homes etc.

Mandir Executives were urged to cascade the importance of the Census to their congregations and Hindu communities in their area.

We have made the posters and videos available for download from our website.
Please click here to access them.

Further information about the Census is available on the Census Website – www.census.gov.uk

British Hindus and Census 2021

More Videos on Census 2021

Barry Gardner on Census 2021

Bob Blackman on Census 2021

General ONS Census Indian Community

Raju Pandya on Census 2021 (In English)

Raju Pandya on Census 2021(In Gujarati)

Young Indians and Census 2021

Posters

Poster for Gujarati Language

Poster for Bengali Language

 

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A report on the state of Hinduism in Religious Education in UK schools is out now!

Last year a survey was circulated to the Hindu community. The results are out now and make incredibly disturbing reading.
  • Teaching resource materials found claiming Hindus turn to terrorism.
  • Mass dissatisfaction amongst Hindu parents about the quality of Hinduism in RE.
  • Data shows that GCSE Hinduism is not available at all in most schools as an option.
Read more here For all findings and recommendations: Read more
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HINDU MANDIR NETWORK LAUNCHES IN THE UK

14 January 2021

On the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti (14 January 2021) Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK (VHP) launches the new Hindu Mandir Network in the UK to increase networking, cooperation and collaboration between Hindu mandirs in the UK

Dr Tribhovan Jotangia, President of VHP UK said, “Hindu Mandir Network (HMN) is a project of VHP UK and is formed after the very positive feedback received for such regular events in the UK following the historic first Hindu Mandir Executives Conference (HMEC) UK conference in October 2020. HMN is a network of Hindu mandirs to support and learn from each other – It is NOT a separate national organisation. “

The main aims and objectives of HMN are: … READ MORE

For further info contact by email:  info.hmnuk@gmail.com.

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Makkar Sankraanti or Maghi, is a festival in the Vedic calendar dedicated to the deity Surya i.e., the Sun.

In most years it is celebrated on 14th January. Each year, it is observed in the lunar month of Magha which corresponds with the month of January as per the Gregorian calendar and is a day the Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists and other people of Vedic Paramparaa celebrate their harvests. It marks the first day of the sun’s transit into Makkar Raashi i.e., Capricorn, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

Sankraanti is a Sanskrit word and one of the meanings is ‘The actual passage of the Sun or other planetary bodies from one sign of the Zodiac into another’.

The earth, during its orbit around the sun, spins on its axis, each rotation lasting 6 months – during these 6 months, one hemisphere nears just a little towards the Sun; during the next 6 months it inches just a little away from the Sun. Hence the lengthening of day vs night (and whether it is winter or summer) is experienced in an opposite fashion in the northern (Uttaraayana & observe Makkar Sankranti) and southern (Dakshinayan observing Karka Sankraanti) hemispheres.

Therefore the festival has spiritual as well as astronomical significance.

Please download the full information pdf

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HMEC UK 2020 – Conference Proceedings now available to download

Following the momentous inaugural Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference UK on 4th October 2020, the Conference Proceedings booklet is now available to download.

The booklet will be useful for you and our mandirs especially if you share it with other executives of the mandir to help make mandir the heart of the Hindu society.

Download the Conference Proceedings 

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Deepawali Mahotasav

Deepawali, the Festival of Lights, is a 5 day Hindu festival which occurs on the fifteenth day of Hindu Calendar month of Kartika. Deepawali when translated means “rows of lighted lamps” and the occasion is also referred to as the Festival of Lights.

During Deepawali, homes are cleaned and windows are opened to welcome Shree Lakshmi, the Divine Deity of Wealth & Prosperity. Lamps, lights and candles are lit as a greeting to Mata Lakshmi. Gifts & Sweet Prasad are exchanged, and festive meals are prepared during Deepawali. Because there are many beliefs and regions in India ie Bharat, there are myriad manifestations of the Deepawali festival.

Download Deepawali Mahotasav Factsheet

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Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK)’s contribution in the historical consecration of Shree Ramjanmabhoomi Mandir

Jai Shree Rama all Priya Bandhu Hindus of the world.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK) is proud to have been a part of one of the most ennobling historical events for Hindus in the last two millenia, that of the Restoration of Ramjanmabhoomi where a glorious Mandir is to be consecrated in dedication of their most Revered and Premier Deity, Bhagwan Shree Rama, at His original Birthplace in Ayodhya.

Read the full article here

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